Hobby schmobby: Apple TV may soon flip the switch on first cable deal

Catch that cable train

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It may not exactly be taking the world by storm, but Apple TV is at least putting forth an effort to infiltrate a few more living rooms.

While the set-top box stamped HBOGo and WatchESPN support last month, further fleshing out its content albeit in a limited, subscription-based manner, a new report out today suggested Apple is close to securing its first cable deal.

Bloomberg, citing "people with knowledge of the negotiations," reported Apple is in talks with Time Warner Cable, hammering out how to bring channels to cable subscribers via Cupertino's TV.

An agreement could be announced in the next few month, Bloomberg's birds said.

Cable city

A deal with TWC would be a nice bag for Apple's $99 set-top box business, and it doesn't sound like it would be the last.

According to the same Bloomberg report, Apple hired Pete Distad, formerly the senior vice president in charge of marketing and distribution at Hulu.

Distad, the publication noted, is on hand to help in negotiations between Apple and media and cable companies.

The TV arena, despite early brush-offs, is not just a hobby, Apple CEO Tim Cook has said previously. As of May, the company shipped 13 million devices, with about half going out in the last year.

Though we've yet to see an iTV, moves like the rumored TWC deal and possible Distad hire all point to an Apple that's looking to make some dollars from this device.